2011 Honda Fit

The 2011 Honda Fit comes only a five-door hatchback and is Honda's lowest-priced car for the U.S. market. Although the Fit is also the smallest model in the Honda lineup, it's about the same length and width as the Honda Civic when it was last offered in the United States as a three-door hatchback (back in 2000). However, the five-door Fit is significantly roomier inside due to its tall, upright body style.

Even at first glance, it's easy to pick out the 2011 Honda Fit as prioritizing function over form. It's difficult to make a super-practical, small, tall hatchback like the 2011 Fit look even vaguely sexy, and to those who value style, the tall proportions arguably make it look like a scaled-down minivan in some respects. Inside, the rakish windshield leaves a vast expanse of dashboard ahead of the driver, lending an airier feel than some other small cars. The swoopy, two-tiered instrument panel employs textured and matte-metallic plastic surfaces, along with upholstery and trim that are simple but sturdy.

INTERIOR
The 2011 Honda Fit will likely have you stepping back out and doing a double-take the first time you get inside. More than almost any other vehicle's design, the Fit makes the most out of a small space, for both passengers and cargo. Honda actually allowed enough headroom and legroom for two adults—or three kids—in back, and the so-called Magic Seat folds flat by lifting a single lever and pushing the seatback forward, with no need to remove rear headrests in the process. The driving position affords a good view outward, and the steering wheel telescopes on all models.

The cargo floor is especially low for easy loading, amassing an impressive 20.6 cubic feet of EPA cargo room. In addition, there are two glove compartments (upper and lower), plenty of cup holders, and many useful storage compartments and cubbies in the center console, dash, and doors—as well as under the back seat.

Fit doesn’t offer a sunroof or leather upholstery – few cars in its price range do – but it is available with a good factory-installed navigation system. The setup includes voice recognition, a 6.5-inch dashboard screen, and a digital audio-card reader. The navigation system continues to be limited to the Fit Sport, where its addition creates a separate model.

Standard features on all 2011 Fits include air conditioning, power windows with automatic up/down driver’s window, power locks, and tilt and telescope steering column. Exclusive to Fit Sport models are a security system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and cabin map lights. Sport models also get a rear stabilizer bar for steadier handling.

Fit’s audio system is a 160-watt single-CD unit with four speakers on base models and six on Sports. In addition to the USB interface, all Fits come with an auxiliary plug for digital players. The 2011 Fit remains unavailable with Bluetooth hands-free mobile-phone connectivity, however. Bluetooth is a safety and convenience enhancement that’s increasingly available on subcompact competitors.

EXTERIOR
The 2011 Honda Fit’s styling is a rerun of the 2010 Fit’s. This five-passenger hatchback belongs to the smallest class of cars sold in the U.S. The subcompact category includes even-tinier novelty acts like the stubby 2011 Scion iQ and the two-seat Smart ForTwo. But its foundation is cars like the Fit and the 2011 Ford Fiesta, 2011 Nissan Versa, and 2011 Toyota Yaris that aim to fill a need for basic, economical transportation.

The hatchback body style is clearly the best way to maximize passenger and cargo room in small cars and the 2011 Fit is one of the more unusually proportioned examples. Its styling, however, serves a greater purpose than mere aesthetics. Fit has a short snout highlighted by big, swept-back headlights. Its radically angled roof pillars frame a huge windshield. And its long-roof, wagon-like body is chopped off just behind the rear wheels.

With lots of side-glass, small wheel openings, and an overall length of just 12 ½ feet the effect is a bit toy-like. But with a tall roofline and relatively generous wheelbase -- the distance between front and rear axles – Fit devotes most of its volume to cabin space. Indeed, this subcompact surprises with room for four adults to ride in comfort and class-leading cargo versatility.

The dashboard layout is more orthodox than the exterior styling but is similarly functional, with large, unobstructed gauges and smartly designed controls arrayed within the driver’s easy reach.

ENGINE
The 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine in the 2011 Honda Fit doesn't move it quickly in any case, but it's relatively fun to drive with the manual gearbox. A five-speed automatic is also offered and comes with paddle-shifters in Fit Sport trims. While the Fit might not be astonishingly fast, its handling and maneuverability is impressive. The Fit has a very responsive, tossable feel that makes it feel almost sports-car nimble yet also adequately refined and settled for highway cruising. Relative to other cars its size, the Fit feels remarkably comfortable at 80 mph.

Otherwise, the 2011 Fit is a mechanical repeat. It comes with one engine, a 1.5-liter four-cylinder rated at 118 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque. Transmission choices for the 2011 Fit base and basic Sport models are a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. The 2011 Fit Sport with Navigation comes only with the automatic transmission, but on both Sport versions, the automatic again includes steering-wheel paddles that allow the driver manual-type control of gear changes.

SAFETY
The 2011 Honda Fit offers an especially strong body structure, along with a long list of safety features including front seat side airbags, full-length side-curtain bags, and anti-lock brakes. And for 2011 you no longer have to get the navigation system in order to get stability control; ESC (or, as Honda terms it, VSA) is standard for 2011.
reference:iguida.com,www.thecarconnection.com